As is well known in the art, severe damage can be caused to boats and similar watercraft as a result of the changing water levels while positioned next to support pilings. A large amount of docks are located in water affected by the tides and/or affected by rising and dropping water due to other causes such as rains. This movement of the watercraft has a significant consequence of seriously damaging the watercraft which may cause expensive and time-consuming repairs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,022 discloses an apparatus for protecting a bridge pillar which comprises a protecting cylinder/sleeve adapted to be mounted outside said bridge pillar so as to surround the latter, a plurality of elastic connecting rods for interconnecting said bridge pillar and said protecting cylinder, said connecting rods being connected to said bridge pillar so that they may be pivoted in every direction; and a float mounted on or in said protecting cylinder/sleeve for floating it in water, in such a manner that at least half of said protecting cylinder is immersed in water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,683 discloses a sleeve adapted to float in water and to surround a piling to protect the same from being lifted by ice including an outer corrugated casing which can be easily gripped by ice forming therearound. Within the casing is a layer of waterproof cementitious material followed by a layer of closed cell foam plastic. The innermost surface of the sleeve, which faces the piling, is a smooth even layer of polyethylene film. Should ice form in the annular space between the piling and the sleeve, the sleeve can easily slide up or down across the outer surface of the ice without moving the piling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,471 discloses a resilient marine fender for protecting a boat from damage resulting from impact against a boat dock, piling or other marine structure including a fender body having an elongate bumper portion on one side of sufficient resiliency to cushion normal impact of the boat and mounting surface on the opposite side thereof of sufficiently frictional character with respect to the piling for generally non-slipping engagement therewith. Selectively engagable and disengagable strap means at the lateral sides of the fender body encircle the pilling for selectively securing the fender body to the piling such that the mounting surface is held in frictional facing contact against the piling. A number of elongate bumper portions can be disposed in side-by-side relation to one another on the fender body and a plurality of strap assemblies can be provided.